SMQT- SURVEYORS & SURVEY TEAMS VERIFIED | LATEST UPDATE

SMQT- SURVEYORS & SURVEY TEAMS VERIFIED | LATEST UPDATE The Role of the Surveyor Your role as a surveyor includes: - Assessing the quality of care and services of a health facility and relating those findings to statutory and regulatory requirements - Being part of a team that helps to evaluate a facility's compliance in providing quality care, quality of life, and other structural requirements - Basing your judgments on objective findings CMS Depends on Its Surveyors - As a surveyor, you are part of a team engaged in a process that aims to ensure that beneficiaries receive quality health care in a safe environment. - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) depends on your knowledge, objectivity, professionalism, and commitment to monitor compliance with the regulatory conditions & requirements. - As a surveyor, you are part of a team that helps to evaluate a facility's compliance; you must show knowledge, objectivity, professionalism, and commitment; and you must base your judgments on objective findings. How the Survey Team Composition is Determined The survey, certification, and enforcement of regulations for nursing homes is codified in past practices regarding the composition of survey teams and expands eligibility requirements. Survey team size will vary, depending primarily on the size of the facility being surveyed. The State Agency (or, for Federal teams, the regional office (RO)) decides how many members will be on the team. Survey team size is normally based upon the following factors: - The bed size of the facility to be surveyed - Whether the facility has a historical pattern of serious deficiencies or complaints - Whether the facility has special care units - Whether new surveyors are to accompany a team as part of their training Team Composition The State Agency (or, for Federal teams, the RO) decides what the composition of the survey team will be, as long as certain statutory and regulatory requirements are met. - Sections 1819(g)(2)(E) & 1919(g)(2)(E) of the Act & 42 CFR 488.314 require the following: - SNF and NF standard surveys must be conducted by a multidisciplinary team of professionals, at least one of whom must be a registered nurse (RN) - Surveyors must be free of conflicts of interest - Surveyors must successfully complete a training and testing program in survey and certification techniques that has been approved by the Secretary. *** In other words, surveyors must successfully complete the CMS-approved training AND pass Module A of the Surveyor Minimum Qualifications Test (SMQT).*** Surveyors who assess the requirements of quality of care, nutritional dietary services, and drug therapy must also successfully complete Module B of the SMQT. Within these parameters, the States (or, for Federal teams, the ROs) are free to choose the composition of each team, and it is the State that determines what constitutes a professional.